File, particularly nail file

ABSTRACT

The file, the body of which is provided on at least part of its surface with a roughness varying from 10 to 100 μm, is made of flat, pressed or hardened glass. The file can have a variety of geometrical shapes and cross sections.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention involves a file, particularly for nails, manufactured fromglass.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Nail files, which are among the principal components of the various setsof cosmetic equipment, are at the present time manufactured from variousmetals or their alloys, from paper or fabric with a rough finish, as thecase may be. Since files destined for such purposes are often used in anenvironment with high humidity, for example during personal hygiene inthe bathroom, it happens in some cases that they corrode or the materialfrom which the file is made becomes moist resulting, on the one hand, ina deterioration in appearance and, on the other, a dulling of thecutting edges of the file from the effects of corrosion and humidityand, thereby, a basic loss of effectiveness. If non-corrosive materialsare used in the manufacture of files, which is generally the case, thenthe disadvantage is the high price. The disadvantage of metal files inwhich the cutting edges are formed by mechanical means is also thelimited “smoothness” of the file, and the fact that by mechanical meansit is possible to produce only a limited degree of roughness of theabrasive surface. Likewise, it is simply not possible to produce aseries of files with finely graded roughness. It is convenient, in theuse of a file, that the side edges be functional that is rough. Becausemetal files are flat and too thin, it is not practical to use their sideedges to trim the nails.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above disadvantages are eliminated in the file according to theinvention presented her, the basis of which lies in the fact that it ismade from glass roughened on at least part of its surface, with aroughness varying from 10 to 100 μm.

The advantage of such a file is its absolute resistance to theenvironment in which it is used. It is significant too that, given itsnon-corrosive properties, the abrasive surfaces can be kept clean byrinsing in water.

It is important to note here the wide range of surface roughness thatcan be attained, varying from the smoothest finish with a roughness of10 μm to a roughness of around 100 μm.

The glass body of the file has an oblong board shape and has a point atone end at least. The advantage of such a shape for the glass body ofthe file is the ease of manipulation in use and, thanks to the point,its practical value for hand hygiene is increased.

Another advantageous solution to be noted is the fact that the glassbody of the file is roughened along one whole side at least, having aV-shaped point at the end. The advantages of such a file arm apparentboth during use of the file and during its manufacture, when rougheningof the whole surface is carried out without the need, for instance, tomask part of the surface during the roughening process by use of acidengraving for example. The point is formed in a V shape, its symmetricalshape facilitating manipulation during use of the file in either theleft or the right hand.

A further advantageous feature is the fact that body of the file isroughened along one whole side at least and is ground to a sharp finishon at least one edge. The longitudinal edge formed on one side of thebody of the file further increases the functional possibilities of thenail file.

It is possible to form the body of the file so that both edges arebevelled, while the bevelled edge at the end is at an oblique angle tothe side edge, so that together they form a point. This variationfurther increases the wide range of uses for the file.

Another advantageous arrangement for the shape of the body of the file,consisting in the fact that the surface of at least one of the edges andof one end of the body of the file is also rouged, further contributesto increasing its usefulness.

To further improve performance, the edges of the body of the file arerounded. These variations in the shape of the glass file further extendits usefulness for special cases of hand hygiene.

From the point of view of production technology, it is an advantage ifthe body of the file can be formed from flat or pressed glass.

All the various shapes of the file can have a glass body formed fromhardened glass. The advantages of such a treated glass body are itsincreased stability and particularly increased safety in the event ofbreakage of the whole of the glass body by dropping etc. The hardeningof the glass-bodied file gives it properties which are well-known insuch treated glass.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention can be better described by means of the drawings, of whichFIG. 1 represents an axonometric overview of the glass body of the file.FIG. 2 presets a cross section of the glass body of the file withroughening on one surface. FIG. 3 also shows a cross section of theglass body of the file with roughening on one side and rounded edges.Similarly, FIG. 4 presents a cross section of the glass body of thefile, both of whose edges are bevelled.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The file according to FIG. 1 is formed from a glass body 1, shown herein oblong board shape, with a roughening 4 on the surface 2. Theroughening 4 is produced by a wide variety of techniques, the choicedepending upon the degree of roughness. To produce the smoothest finish,for example around 10 μm, a chemical process can be used, such as acidengraving with a hydrogen fluoride solution. Greater roughness, ofaround 100 μm for instance, can be produced mechanically, by sanding forexample. FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the glass body 1 of the fileillustrated in FIG. 1, with a roughened finish 4 along the whole of onesurface 2.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate further possible variants on the glass body 1of the oblong board-shaped file. A cross section is shown of the glassbody 1 of the file, with roughening 4 of one surface finish 2, the glassbody 1 of the file having rounded edges 3, while the cross section inFIG. 4 presents the glass body 1 of the file with edges 3 bevelled to asharp finish, the glass body 1 of the file having a rough finish 4 onboth surfaces 2.

Industrial use of the Invention

The glass-bodied file has been described from the point of view of itsuse as a nail file. This example of use, however, in no way excludesfurther possible uses in other fields, particularly given the wide rangeof roughness which can be achieved in the glass-bodied file. A fileproduced according to this invention with a low degree of roughness,that is to say the finest, can be used in polishing surfaces, forexample, while the coarsest can be used for grinding.

1-10. (canceled)
 11. A nail file comprising: a body having a firstsurface, a second surface opposite the first surface, first and secondopposite ends, and first and second opposite edges; at least a portionof one of the first and second surfaces being roughened to form anabrading surface, the abrading surface is defined by random peaks andvalleys; and the body, the first and second surfaces, the first andsecond ends, the first and second edges, and the abrading surface areintegrally formed of a single material th is non-corrosive and moistureimpervious.
 12. The nail file of claim 11, wherein the abrading surfacehas a roughness between about 10 μm to about 100 μm.
 13. The nail fileof claim 11, wherein the material is glass.
 14. The nail file of claim13, wherein the glass is hardened.
 15. The nail file of claim 13,wherein the glass is transparent.
 16. The nail file of claim 11, whereinat least one of the ends tapers to a point.
 17. The nail file of claim16, wherein the end opposite the tapered end is rounded.
 18. The nailfile of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of each of the first andsecond sides includes an abrading surface.
 19. A nail file devicecomprising: a body having a first surface, a second surface opposite thefirst surface, first and second opposite ends, and first and secondopposite edges; at least a majority of the first surface is roughened,the roughened portion of the first surface extends from the first endtoward the second end and extends from the first edge to the secondedge, and the roughened portion of the first surface is defined byrandom peaks and valleys; the body, the first and second surfaces, thefirst and second ends, the first and second edges, and the roughenedportion of the first surface are integrally formed of a single material,and the material is non-corrosive and moisture impervious.
 20. The nailfile of claim 19, wherein the roughened portion has a roughness betweenabout 10 μm to about 100 μm.
 21. The nail file of claim 19, wherein thematerial is glass.
 22. The nail file of claim 21, wherein the glass ishardened.
 23. The nail file of claim 21, wherein the glass istransparent.
 24. The nail file of claim 19, wherein at least one of theends tapers to a point.
 25. The nail file of claim 24, wherein the endopposite the tapered end is rounded.
 26. The nail file of claim 19,wherein at least a majority of each of the first and second sides areroughened.
 27. A nail file comprising: a body having a first surface, asecond since opposite the first surface, first and second opposite ends,and first and second opposite edges; at least a majority of the firstsurface is roughened, the roughened portion of the first surface extendsfrom the first end toward the second end and extends from the first edgeto the second edge, and the roughened portion of the first surface isdefined by random peaks and valleys; the body, the first and secondsurfaces, the first and second ends, the first and second edges, and theroughened portion of te first surface are formed of glass.
 28. The nailfile of claim 27, wherein the roughened portion has a roughness betweenabout 10 μm to about 100 μm.
 29. The nail file of claim 27, wherein theglass is hardened.
 30. The nail file of claim 27, wherein the glass istransparent.
 31. The nail file of claim 27, wherein at least one of theends tapers to a point.
 32. The nail file of claim 31, wherein the endopposite the tapered end is rounded.
 33. The nail file of claim 27,wherein at least a majority of each of the first and second sides areroughened.